For myself, online really isn’t even an option. Several obstacles impede me from joining the millions of gamers out there who do participate in online multiplayer games. Price, of course, is always a concern, as owning a 360 requires an additional $50 a year to play any game online. And on the PS3, well, the system itself is priced at over $50 more than the 360, so neither console provides online capabilities at a price I’m willing to pay. I also do not have a broadband cable running to the entertainment center which stands proud and tall in the center of my living room, far apart from the dirges inhabited by my internet router. While I can come up with several easy solutions to this problem they are, once again, costly, and the cheaper solutions are quite a bit of hassle. Of course, none of this matters (or it never used to) because multiplayer gaming for me involves meeting up with people in real life and playing games together by physically sharing the same time-space with them. In fact, not all of my friends have the current-gen consoles, either due to a lack of desire or a lack of financial irresponsibility, but this, in my opinion, is a good thing. In this scenario, those of us who do own consoles become central hubs for gatherings and social interaction. Meetings are arranged and special releases become communal events in which the joy obtained from playing a video game is shared in an atmosphere of hospitality and brotherhood. And while video games may have been the reason for getting together at the onset they are quite often reduced to a prelude or backdrop to other events or occurrences well suited to a group setting. I don’t think this is the way everyone should play multiplayer games, nor am I implying that this is always possible, but I do think these are the ideal circumstances that many people attempt to play multiplayer games under, and the fact that Rockstar is not recognizing this is, to drive the point home, an action that will condemn them to a life sentence.

            It is therefore important at this point that I bring up another tidbit of news the month of April has brought the video game world. In fact, any attention of gamers not occupied by GTA IV has certainly been snagged by talk of Nintendo’s latest installment in the Mario Kart franchise, due to hit two days before GTA IV. While Mario Kart provides a much more linear experience, complete with smiling hills and clouds, and baby versions of characters which are already immorally cute, it will allow me the ability to play with three of my friends in the same room; an idea that is apparently so antiquated only gamers from a forgotten era will take advantage of it. It for this reason, and this reason alone, that I am indeed fearful of the notion that I will end up playing Mario Kart more than I will GTA IV. Its not that I want to race around smiling-faced happy-land go-cart tracks throwing turtles shells at Italian Plumbers who won’t get out of my way. In truth, I very much want to race around the tough streets of Liberty City throwing grenades at members of the Russian Mob. But the higher truth of the matter is that I want to share these experiences with my friends, and only one of these games affords me the ability to do this the way I want to. I don’t think Mario Kart is going to be the better game, but for me I already know it is a better multiplayer game, because I can get together with friends to play it. I don’t want to pick on plumbers of the Italian variety, but until Niko’s Russian Mafiosoes can be played by other people in the same room as myself on the same console, then “Let’s-a-go!”

By stealth_toilet